Improvement in ash-pits



THE GRAPHIC CO- FHQTD-LITK39E #l PARK PLACEINX.

it may be.

UNITED STATES HIRAM K. WHITNER, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ASH-PITS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,305, dated December1, 1874 application filed October 23, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HIRAM K. WHITNER, of thecity of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Ash-Pits, of which the following is aspecification:

My invention consists of a combination of ash-pit, sifting-box, flueconnecting ash-pit with smoke-flue, and perforated bottom plate ofash-box or stove of that class of stoves known as portable heaters,commonly placed in cellars, combined in such manner as to greatly lessenthe danger from accidental fires in storing hot coals or ashes also, agreat saving of fuel, and absence of dust by sitting or separating theunburnt fuel from the ashes, at the same time evaporating the drainagethat will be absorbed by the ashes where this pit is constructed in theground of damp cellars. The pit also aflords a convenient place ofdeposit for sweepings of the cellar, &c., at all seasons of the year-asanitary necessity now much neglected, owing to the inconvenience ofgetting such matter removed at any time in large cities and towns.

Figure 1 is a horizontal view of my improvement, it being a sectionhorizontally taken through the ash-box of heaters as now constructed,showing the bottom plate of the heater A B O D, either circular orsquare, as Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section of the same taken throughthe line R S. Fig. 3 is a sitter.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts.

The following description will enable those skilled in the arts toconstruct my improvement.

A B C D, Fig. 1, represent the bottom plate of the heater, eithercircular in form or square, as it may be, in which I make perfo-.

rations like a grate of a stove, or an opening, K, to admit of g thewhole contents of the ashbox of the heater being passed through to theapartment below, or both. L is a sliding lid, to close the opening Kwhen the sifter is used. G is an opening with a proper covering. Throughthis opening the ashes are taken from the pit. The opening J is theflue-hole for the pipe that connects the ashpit with the smoke-pipe,thereby causing a draft, to prevent dust while working at the pit; also,the ashes that collect in the smokeflue, as now constructed, will dropinto the ashpit through this pipe. This dust -flue should have a damper.A B O D, Fig. 2, corresponds in size with the bottom plate of the heaterwhen it is square, and connects the bottom plate of the heater and thetop of the ash-pit, which is level with the ground. As heaters aregenerally elevated from the ground, this space, when of a proper height,will enable us to place the sitter I, Fig. 3, in what I call thesitter-box A B G D, Fig. 2, through the opening H, which opening shouldbe closed by an ordinary stove-door with an aperture,

h, so that the sifter I may be operated by means of the handle h, Fig.3. E F, Fig. 2, are rods to support the sifter I. P is a pit, for thereception of the ashes, 850. It may be constructed of iron, stone,brick, or a concrete made of mortar, small stones, and cement. Perhapsthe latter would be the cheapest. Said pit may be of any size desired,dug in the ground, for the purpose of draining the cellar, which willdampen the ashes, so that when they are taken out of the pit they willmake little or no dust; or the ashes may be dampened by pouring waterinto the pit when necessary.

The pit may be covered with stone or iron, containing the properopenings. If it is desired to do away with the sifter, the bottom plateof the heater can be set down upon the covering or form part of thecovering itself; in that case the box A B O D, Fig. 2, might bedispensed with.

The sifter may be a shaking one, or revolvin g, or any of the knownforms.

I am aware that sifters have been attached to cooking-stoves, and thatash-pits are constructed under ranges, &c., that are built on the firstfloor, the ash-pit being constructed in the cellar, walled up to thefirst floor, being covered with a grating, and I do not claim any ofthem; but I am not aware that any portable heaters, or stoves, orheaters in cellars have ever been constructed in the manner of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as my invention- 1. Theash-pit covering a b c 01, mounted upon and in combination with thesubstrucperforations, and the Sifter-box A B O D,

ture forming the ash-pit P, and having the substantially as described.ash-openings formed by bars, as E F, and

dust-flue J substantially as described. HIRAM K. WHITNER.

2. In combination with the ash-pit plate a Witnesses: b 0 cl, mountingthe substructure, the dust- JNO. A. BELL,

flue J, the stove-plate A B C D, having the B. MORGAN ESLER.

